Wilbraiiam evelyn-liardet



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILBRAIIAM EYELYN-LIARDE'I, OF ELQTERNXVICK, VKYiO RIA EXPLOSIVE AND PROCESS OF MAKING S AM'E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,0 20,tdated June 5, 1894.

Application filed November 3,1893. Ser-lalNo.489,94l. (N specimens.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILBRAHAM EvnLvN- LIARDIQT, chemist, a citizen of Melbourne, a

subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of St. Kilda Street, Elsternwick, in the Colony of Victoria, have invented a certain' new and useful Improved Safety Explosive and Method or Process of Manufacturing the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has been devised to provide the public with an improved safety explosive and which while being cflicient in the highest degreeand economical in its use maybe prepared at a minimum cost.

The invention has reference to that class of explosives known as safety explosives, that is to say which do not explode by the mere application of an ordinary flame or spark.

The ingredients employed by me'to make such explosive and the method or the process of manufacturing the same are substantially as follows:

To carry this invention into elfect I prepare the materials preferably, but not arbitrarily in the following mann'erz-Tar of any approved kind is placed in a tank of anyon pacity said tank having beneath it a furnace to supply heat thereto, the tank is also provided with three taps or cocks on one of its sides, that is to sayone cock near the bottom, a second on'e higher up and a third above that again, so that were a tank three feet high to be used, one tap would be near the bottom, the second tap ten inches above and the third fifteen inches above the second and eight inches from top, so that in the event of the lighter portion of 'the tar boiling over, the cock at that point may be opened and such tar allowed to be drawn off into any suitable vessel. Heat having been applied in the furnace and the tar raised preferably to 120 centigrade at the level of the center cook the tar is removed and mixed in any suitable vessel with picric acid in the proportions preferably of one third of picric acid to two thirds of the tar at the aforesaid heat of about 120 centigradc or in equal parts- 'i. e.-half tar and half picric acid; the picric acid will then be dissolved in the tar and at ordinary tempcratu re the mixture thus formed will be brittle and have a smooth glossy appearancelike jet. Sawdust, (preferably wood or pulverized.

The materials for my improved etplosi-ve having been thus made are mixed in the following manner and proportions: The mixture of chlorid and perchlorate of potassium is heated in a steam jacketed pan to L centigrade and while hot the mixture of sawdust,

jpicric acid and tar is added, and mixed into it while hot until the mass becomes black which it does in about fifteen to twenty minutes if well mixed. The mass is then placed upon sieves, allowed to chill, shaken or rubbed through and the finished explosive will have the appearance of ordinary well 1nanufac-- tu'red gunpowder.

I do not limit myself to the use of the chlorid and perchlorate of potassium alone, but may employ as well the corresponding salts of other alkali metals. In fact I prepare a good explosive by the following formula: Ohlorid of sodium or common salt, is ground fine; one pound avoirdupois of such'sait is saturated with one ounce of diluted picric acid and one third, two thirds or one half, of chlorate of potassium 'is then added to the mixture. Then dryin a jacketed pan and add one ounce of magnesium carbonate, and when the whole is quite dry add the mixture of sawdust, picrio acid and tar in the proportions preferably, but not arbitrarily, of seventy-five parts of the first named mixture to twenty-five parts of the mixture of sawdust, picric acid and'tar; but-before the final mix.- ing of the ingredients I prefer-to store the primary mixtures for a few days.

Both forms, hereinbefore described, can be exploded under water with the ordinary fulminate cap while in dry ground the cap can be omitted and the ordinary fuse used.

IOC

As a substitute for dynamite and nitrogelatin or nitroglycerin compounds it will be foundlby use to possess greater strength and ing explosives which consists in first heating tar to atemperature of about 120 centigrade, y then adding vpicric acid thereto, then gradually adding sawdust to the mixture thus prepared, then heating the mixture of tar, picric acid and sawdust to a temperature of about 100 centigrade, then cooling the mixture and-passing it through a sieve, then adding to the sifted product a suitable proportion of a mixture of the perchlorate and chlorid of an alkali metal at the same time heating the mass until the same assumes a black .color, and fiuallycoolingand granulating the mixture, substantially as set forth.

Signed this 28th day of August, 1893.

' WILBRAHAM EVELYN-HARDER Witnesses: I

A. O. SAjcHsE, 0.1)., Melbourne. A. HARKER,

Clerk, Melbourne. 

